Monday, August 30, 2010

A question of balance

Whew - we have finally nearly finished Mark's birthmonth. It has been hectic and a lot of fun.

The warbird flight was brought forward from 11 am last Saturday week to 8 am and I was wondering how I was going to get 8 people down to the local airport to watch but it all turned out well. The pilot actually did the aerobatics over the house we were staying at so we just sat out on the terrace and watched Mark have the ride of his life. I swear, he didnt stop smiling all day.

The rest of the weekend was lovely too and finally last weekend he had his party at the golf club and once again had a ball. Mind you he is the original little party animal and age certainly hasnt slowed him down too much. My bestie and her husband flew down from Queensland and stayed for the weekend too so it was full on.
Party on Friday night and not in bed until 2.
Mark up again at 6 to play golf.
The rest of us had a leisurely start to the day and then caught the train into the city and went to the David Jones foodhall and had lunch at the antipasto bar and taste tested our way around, had coffee, went shopping and then caught the train home to a beautiful chicken curry prepared by the birthday boy when he got home from golf. Nobody needed any rocking that night and we were in bed by midnight.

Up again the next day and off to lunch at Buddha Belly at Terrey Hills to meet up with friends and then out to airport to drop our visitors off and then off to a sausage sizzle with the neighbours and then home and bed.

Didnt want to get out of bed this morning but there was the promise of another lovely Sydney winter day, not a doona day, so I eventually got out of bed and was only minutely late for work.

Planning for the Tasmanian trip is starting to come together. Got lots of recommendations about what we should see and do and where to stay.

Now the title of this post - Balance.
I have noticed that more and more people are talking about balance in their life. People perceive balance in lots of different ways but it is amazing that in the end balance is still balance. (Of goodness I am getting all mystic.)

Anyway while we were away in the Hunter with my wonderful children, my son and I had a long talk about eating habits and weight. He has lost some weight by just following simple "rules:
No fried food
No sugar
Eat dinner early
Eat more fruit

Now he never could be accused of being fat or even overweight, but has trimmed down so that he can fit back into a favourite pair of jeans and stopped the weight training because it was thickening up his neck muscles and he couldnt do up his dress shirts anymore. LOL.

No counting points, showing some restraint and I guess taking responsibility. Taking this slowly, and being superstitious I am not going to talk about this anymore. Just to say I am attempting to slowly change my habits but I am not going to beat myself up anymore about it.

I want to fit back into my clothes
I want to give myself a fighting chance against the disease that is trying to cripple me
basically I just want something better with more balance.

Not a big ask.

Completely on a different track
Anyway I have also taken up crocheting again. I had all this wool that I was going to knit into squares but my hands wont let me but I have discovered that I can still crochet so I am happily making squares for the new blanket for Lucy the wonderdog and next year I will see if I can donate crochet rugs to the "Wrapped with Love" project. It is awesome - I have something to do with my hands of an evening that I quite enjoy doing.

So, if anyone out there needs some knitting needles let me know because I dont think I will be using them anymore and I have got stacks.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Whew! What a busy weekend.

Not feeling well lately and it seems to hit me on Friday night and makes Saturday mornings painful and therefore no pilates which is killing me.

The no dairy diet is difficult (being a big cheese lover) but has helped immensely. The few times I have chanced it or inadvertently had dairy I have paid for it very soon after with an immediate flare-up of the eczema but on a whole am managing to keep it under control. I just want to heal now but that will take months.

We went to see Let It Be at the opera house on Saturday. We went into the city early and had a few drinks in the Rocks, caught up with some friends and then went to the show. It had Doug Parkinson, Jon Stevens, Jack Jones and John Waters in it and was excellent. Didnt get home until midnight and I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Dragged myself out of bed and got ready to go out to lunch and we were just lucky to miss the most incredible storm that raged through Sydney yesterday. Pouring rain, hail and thunder all within about 10 minutes. The restaurant actually turned the heaters on because the temperature dropped quickly but everything was back to normal within 15 minutes and more importantly the washing got dry by the time we got back home. Lovely lunch with lovely people.

So today, have walked around a small area of the national park I work in. Breezy down the southern end and the smell of the salt water was invigorating. Sunny cloudless blue skies, magpies, cockatoos, a swamp heron and plovers but did not sight any schools of small fish. Watched women getting ready to go kayaking and felt a bit envious but my time will come for lovely indulgences. It wasnt a brisk walk just a stroll because my ankle is sore from Saturday's trip to the city and I want to give it time to recover. So no gym today either just a bit of shopping and I have to buy a new black pashmini type thing because of course I lost my beloved one on Saturday. Probably take Lucy for a walk towards sunset. It is such a nice relaxing time of the day to be out walking. Something about the sun setting seems to soothe me - dont know why.

The nights this week will be taken up with cooking food for the weekend. We are off to the Hunter again on Friday to celebrate Mark's 60th birthday with family. I can't remember whether I mentioned it but I have booked a flight for him in an old fighter plane. Hopefully the weather holds for him as it is the pivotal part of the weekend, keep your fingers crossed.

Enjoy your week - stop, turn your faces to the sun and breathe deeply. Spring is stirring although I dont think winter has quite finished with us yet.

PS: didnt get a chance to post this on Monday and would you believe when I went for my walk at lunchtime on Tuesday the creek was literally alive with fish. It was incredible to watch them darting around and not just little ones either, some really big ones. I tried to describe the big ones to a workfriend and his response was that I had just described a fish. Also managed to buy another black scarf/shawl pretty much identical to the one I lost but it was expensive. Cooking for weekend is progressing well - lasagne and soup made, meat ordered and casserole to be made tonight in slow cooker. Other than that I have managed to lose my credit card but luckily the butcher has it and has promised me that I can have it back as soon as they have filled up their cars - clowns.
Really going this time and pushing publish post button otherwise this could turn into a novella.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

From my sister

Part of an email my sister sent me -

With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much
information and wisdom in our heads that when
there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.
So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.

Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will
think, ¨Good grief, look how smart I am!¨

A great way to look at yourself (or myself) I think.
:)

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Mindsets

Funny how if you think something for long enough it becomes fact.

My particular mindset at the moment is - gee I am hungry. Yes I am hungry but I am not starving. Hungry is not a bad thing it might mean that my body might decide to eat some of the stored food (this little squirrel must have thought it was going to be a tough winter because she has put away rather a lot of food stores). I dont need to eat something immediately. All that it does is makes me bigger. A few gentle comments from my beloved has got me back on track. He is worried about the damage that I am doing to myself when my body is quite capable of damaging itself without my help.

Anyway saw the surgeon today and he is happy with the new ankle (not so new now - nearly 16 mths old). Have to get an MRI on the other ankle because something is going on there but nothing as bad as what has happened.

Bought a cute little pad from KikkiK about 21 days to make something a habit. Things like staying within daily point allowance, walking 10,000 steps, drinking my bottle of water, having alcohol-free days etc. I keep it on my bedside table and the last thing I do before I go to bed is tick off what I have accomplished that day. It makes me try harder. I always was the child that wanted the gold star.

Well done to the All Blacks. It was like watching a trainwreck and I think that I will join Peter Fitzsimmons and start calling them the Australiasian Allblacks. A word of warning (from past history guys) dont peak too early. Save something for next year.

After a couple of days of wild and woolly weather, today is a glorious winter day with blue skies and sunshine.

I can feel a hint of spring. The jonquils are out in my garden, the azaleas are beginning their annual flower show and I've noticed the beautiful big dusky pink magnolia buds are starting to open. I wish I could have a magnolia but, sigh, I have been banned from buying one. I do have a port wine magnolia from which I have struck numerous cuttings and planted surreptitiously in various parts of the gardens. Am I in for a lecture when he discovers this.

Anyway I am off to do some more work. Have a great day/week.